Whipped Cauliflower
From America's Test Kitchen Easy Everyday Keto

We love to look at a bunch of recipes and create something of our own. But every now and then we find a recipe that works so well and is so good, we don't want to mess with it. We recently bought America's Test Kitchen Easy Everday Keto cookbook and tried this recipe. Fabulous! This has that texture you crave; it's probably on our holiday menu. Thanks to America's Test Kitchen for allowing us to reprint the recipe and photo.

Why This Recipe Works

The very words mashed potatoes make you feel comforted, don't they? But their high carb content, which is what makes them soothing and delicious, is also what makes them unavailable for the keto diet. No matter; you will not miss them because at the test kitchen, we've developed a recipe to replace mashed potatoes with low-carb cauliflower, which has the added benefit of being rich in vitamins and potassium. What's more, this dish really resembles the original-just take a look at the picture. And the low starch content of cauliflower means it purees like a dream. We first tried mashing steamed cauliflower, but ended up with a wet, sloppy mess. When we ditched the potato masher and pureed cauliflower in the food processor instead, we got a smooth, velvety-textured dish that makes a delightful accompaniment to steak, chicken, or fish. You can add crunch and extra protein to the puree with bacon, cheddar, and scallions or enhance cauliflower's neutral taste with the distinctive licorice flavor of fennel. This recipe can easily be doubled using a Dutch oven in place of the saucepan.

Serves 4

Total Time 40 minutes

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in large saucepan oven over high heat, then add cauliflower. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, 14 to 16 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

2. Drain cauliflower and transfer to food processor. Add butter and salt and process until completely smooth, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Our notes:

1. The first time we made this, we added bacon and cheddar. So, so good.

2. The second time we made this, we added mozzarella only and used the puree as a topping for Shepherd's Pie. Added a few chopped green onions on top. Worked and tasted like a dream.

Nov 2020/Dec 2022